Ask Mr. Gold

QUESTION: At Indian street festivals, there is often a guy or two wandering around with a big cooler slung around his shoulders, selling what seems to be a thick kind of Indian ice cream formed into the shape of tall, inverted cones and jammed onto paper sticks like lollipops. Is there anywhere to buy these things, or do I have to wait for the next street fair?

—Shelly, Santa Monica

ANSWER: Indian ice cream, kulfi, can be pretty great, a boiled-milk confection that is considerably denser than American ice cream and has a definite caramelized taste. And the new Westwood branch of Ambala Dhaba, like its Artesia sister, functions almost as an Indian ice cream parlor, with several flavors of house-made kulfi-on-a-stick available by the piece and by the bag, kulfi shakes made with pistachio, almond and mango, and even a mysterious dish known only as kulfi-cut-up-in-a-bowl. It’s a kulfi fiesta! And if you’re looking for something to put between your teeth before dessert, Ambala Dhaba’s delicious, rough-hewn versions of goat curry, biryani and the spice-crusted tandoori dish called chicken Ludhiana are probably the closest thing to decent Indian home cooking on the Westside. 1781 Westwood Blvd., Westwood, (310) 966-1772.